


Walking On A Tightrope

by GravityUniverse115



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Pajamas & Sleepwear, Romantic Fluff, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepiness, Sleeptalking, Sleepwalking, Watching Someone Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GravityUniverse115/pseuds/GravityUniverse115
Summary: Steven starts a habit of sleepwalking and tries to find out why. And how to prevent it
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be completely different from my usual stuff. I came up with this the other day and thought it was really cute. So enjoy Steven being the precious cinnamon roll he is lol

Steven arrived home late at night. Feeling absolutely drained from a full day of working at Little Homeschool. He loved helping other gems but sometimes even he got sick of being around them. It's not that he didn't care. Far from it actually. But every once in a while, he would be in a bad mood and constantly almost lose his patience. Like today, he was helping with Pearl's class on human technology. A few of them kept accidentally destroying the devices. He had to step away a couple times to make sure he didn't lose his temper. Now he has a headache like you wouldn't believe. Which only irritated him tenfold 

He flipped the light switch and shut the door behind him with a sigh. He looked up and flinched upon seeing the gems sitting on the couch. All three simultaneously said hello to the boy, who half heartedly returned it. "Hey guys." Steven continued what he was doing. He placed his bag on the table and put his car keys back on the hook

Amethyst called out and regained his attention. "Hey Stevo, come chill out with us! We haven't done that in a while." She scooted over and patted on the cushion enticing him to sit down

Steven huffed out a laugh. "I appreciate it but I'm really tired. I'm just gonna go straight to bed." He smiled weakly and headed towards the stairs. "Night guys."

"Night Steven." Pearl responded on behalf of everyone 

Without further ado, Steven changed into his yellow pajama shirt and blue and white striped bottoms. He slid under the covers and let his eyes droop close

It wasn't until 3am when _it_ started. While still asleep, Steven got out of bed and walked out the front door. He continued down the cold beach, a nightly gust of wind every so often. He stopped right in front of the Big Donut. He sat in one of the chairs outside and remained there the rest of the night

* * *

Around 3 hours later, Steven was found slouching in the hard chair outside at dawn. His legs had spread out a bit and his head was resting on his shoulder. Surprisingly it was Lars to spot him first. The immortal teen nudged his shoulder a bit. "Steven. Yo Steven, wake up man." Steven groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Still groggy, it took him a second to realize who it was

"Lars? What are you doing here?" He sat up and stretched 

Lars cocked an eyebrow at him. "Um I should be asking you the same thing. Why were you sleeping here?"

Steven hadn't fully grasped where he was. "What do you mean? You're in my-" He looked around at his surroundings and suddenly realized his location. "Wait. How did I get here? Lars, what's wrong with me?!" He pulled Lars down by the collar of his shirt

"Dude nothing is wrong with you. Outside of the usual. You were probably just sleepwalking. And let go of me man!" He shoved Steven's arms out of the way

"Heh, sorry." Steven lowered his arms back down to his sides. "Sleepwalking huh? I didn't know it was something I could do." He had a puzzled look on his face, trying to grasp the concept 

"Every human can do it. It usually occurs when something is bothering you or if you're really stressed out." Lars placed a hand on his hip

Steven held a hand at his chin for a moment. "Hmmm. Well it looks like I got some stuff to figure out. Thanks Lars." Steven slowly pushed himself up to his feet. His back crying out in pain. He nearly lost his balance and stood hunched over. "Oww! My back!" He reached behind and tried to massage the area

"Do you need any help walking back?" Concern flickered in Lars' eyes

Steven shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I just need to stretch it out." He began making the long journey back home. His back was severely aching but he just pushed through it. The staircase gave him the most trouble. Thank god for hand rails

He stepped inside and Pearl immediately began to question him. "Steven, there you are! What on earth happened to you? You don't look good."

"I was apparently sleepwalking last night and ended up outside. I'm okay though. My back is just killing me. I have to take the day off." He sat on the couch and swung his legs over so his head was resting on the armrest. Crying out in pain while doing so

"Not sure what that is but alright. You just get some rest. Don't worry about a thing." She bent over and gently kissed Steven on the forehead 

Amethyst held up a peace sign. "Later dude! Take it easy." In a flash, Steven was left alone 

He closed his eyes and sighed. "What am I gonna do?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When solving most problems, trial and error occurs

The following night, Steven had called Connie over for assistance. She arrived at the house at around 7pm. They just simply hung out until Steven was ready to go to bed. He sat up in his bed as he explained the plan. "Okay when I fall asleep, keep an eye out to see if I start moving. If I do, maybe we can figure out what's causing it."

Connie nodded and sat in a chair beside Steven's bed. "Okay, I'll make sure you don't do anything dangerous."

"Well you can just wake me up, right?" Steven questioned

Connie gasped. "No! It's extremely dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker. You could hurt others or yourself. All you can do is simply guide the person back to their bed." She carefully elaborated

Steven nodded. "Okay then, just do that I guess."

"Roger!" Connie gave him a salute. The two laughed about it then Steven adjusted himself to lay down in bed

He set his phone on his nightstand and turned off the light. "Goodnight Connie."

"Night Steven." She smiled warmly as she watched him close his eyes

* * *

Connie would spend the next few hours trying to keep herself awake. Although being around a sleeping Steven made it really difficult. He looked so peaceful that she couldn't help but relax as well. When 2am approached, she almost lost the battle when Steven finally started to move. She nearly fell out of the chair as Steven suddenly got out of bed. She watched him closely as he began to walk out the door. Connie quickly put on her jacket and followed him

He once again walked along the shore. This time with Connie in tow. She walked alongside him. After a minute, she was able to figure out where he was heading. Straight to Little Homeschool. Before he could get too far, she grabbed his arm. She tugged him back and he stopped dead in his tracks. "Steven, what are you doing?" She tried to get some answers out of him

A moment later he responded. ".....I w-want to be.....useful. I-I nnneed to help.."

Connie simply sighed and turned him around. "C'mon Steven, let's get you back to bed." She carefully guided him back to the temple and into his room. She made him lay down and tucked him in. Thankfully he didn't move for the rest of the night

After venturing out like that, it didn't take long for Connie to fall asleep in the chair

At 8am, she was startled by Steven's alarm on his phone. He stretched and slowly sat up. "Morning Connie." He said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Whoa are you okay? You don't look so good."

She glared at him. "Well that's what happens when you try to help your best friend through his sleepwalking."

Steven flinched. "Well jeez. Sorry miss crankypants."

She sighed. "I'm sorry Steven. I don't know if I can keep doing this. Why don't you ask one of the gems for help?"

"What?! No way! Pearl would fall apart, Garnet would annoy me with her future vision, and well Amethyst would just fall asleep anyway. But I won't force you to do this anymore." He smiled gently at her. "Maybe if I just push myself and stay awake for as long as possible then it'll stop."

"I'm not so sure but I guess it's worth a shot. Thanks, Steven." She smiled back at him

The two hugged each other and said their goodbyes. And with that, Connie was gone. Steven grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Time to stay alert." He got dressed and strutted down the stairs with confidence 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe forcing yourself awake isn't the best idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while huh? I finally found a way past the writers block lol

Later that night, Steven was pacing back and forth to keep himself up while the gems merely stared. "Uhhh dude? You okay?" Amethyst questioned. She became increasingly concerned for her little brother's wellbeing 

Steven quickly turned towards them with a anxious look on his face. "Yeah of course! Why do you ask?" He forced a smile

"Maybe because you seem tense and are pacing in the living room." Garnet bluntly said with a straight look on her face

Steven hand waved it off. "Psh, I'm fine. You know, I think I'm gonna go for a jog. See ya!" He waved and sidestepped out the door. From there, he turned pink and ran through the forest. He kept running and running all night. Eventually his body became sore so he had to make his way back home. There was no other choice

* * *

When dawn came, Steven walked in with bags under his eyes. He yawned and spoke. "Hey guys." He made his way to the kitchen and brewed himself some coffee

Pearl glared at him with worry in her eyes. "Steven! Where have you been?! I've been texting and calling."

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh wouldn't _you_ like to know. You know, you guys don't have to know where I am every second of the day." He filled his mug and stomped over to the dining table

Meanwhile Pearl gasps in offense. " _Excuse me?!_ " She was about to scold him when Garnet put a hand in front of her

Steven took a sip of his drink as Garnet walked up to him. "Steven, you should get some rest."

He chuckled. "I'm fine."

"Dude you look like crap." Amethyst interjected 

The hybrid quickly stood up and slammed his palms on the table. "I said I'm fine!" A moment of silence filled the air. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I gotta run errands." Steven walked away and grabbed the car keys. As he stormed off, he slammed the door behind him

Pearl looked back up at Garnet. "You think he'll be okay?"

She nodded. "He just needs time to cool off."

Meanwhile, Steven drove down the main street into town. He tried to take his mind off the gems and focus on staying awake. He turned the radio up and focused on the road in front of him. However, the more he tried the harder it became. He shook his head a few times. "C'mon Steven. You can do this." Unfortunately he started to drift. His eyelids grew heavy. Slowly they closed and the car started to drift off the side of the road

It rolled onto the beach. A moment later, two of the wheels clashed head on with a rock causing the car to fly in the air and flip. The shock jolted Steven awake. But he was too late. Everything felt frozen in time as the car was airborne. His life flashed before his eyes. In these final moments, all he thought about was his family. The gems, his dad, Connie. He thought for sure he would die. And he was willing to accept that

The car landed upside down in shallow water. It was just enough to submerge Steven underwater. He held his breath until he was able to put his bubble up. But he couldn't hold it up for much longer. His body suffered severe injuries and can only move his arms. He lost feeling in both his legs and broke a few ribs, which made it hard to breathe. All his energy was focused on keeping the bubble around him

He can only pray that someone would find him in time. He held on as tight as he could. He didn't want to go out like this. Not right now. So he fought and fought. Truth be told, he's never fought this hard for anything. The thought of his family kept him going

Steven eventually saw someone at the surface. He couldn't recognize the silhouette but he knew he was about to receive help. And just like that, his vision started to go black. His body relaxed and the bubble around him collapsed. Leaving nothing but a cold, dark, emptiness 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven finds himself in the hospital

A tourist in Beach City was driving by when they spotted a upside down car in the shallow part of the ocean. They immediately slammed on the brakes and ran towards it. Their mind racing and heart pounding out their chest. They came to a halt and franticly looked at the smoking car. They tried calling out to the person. "Hello?! Can you hear me?!" But to no avail. They quickly pulled out their phone and dialed 911

The operator answered on the other side. "911 what's your emergency?"

They kept checking on the person in the water. "Hi I'm in Beach City, Delmarva. There's a car crash and someone is trapped inside. Please send help! They're submerged in the ocean." They anxiously bit their lip

"We'll send someone over right away."

About 5 minutes later, an ambulance came rushing over. Along with a firetruck. The firemen lifted the car out of the water carefully. Once on solid ground, the EMTs pulled the person out of the vehicle. They all lifted him onto a gurney and put an oxygen mask on his face. They hurried him into the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The doctor inside the ambulance is a familiar face. It was none other than Dr Maheswaran. A look of shock crossed her face when she saw who the patient was. "Steven?!"

One of the EMTs took notice. "You know this person?"

She paused for a moment. "Y-Yeah. He's my daughter's boyfriend." Dr Maheswaran quietly sighed to herself. "Oh Steven. What on earth is going on with you?"

* * *

A few hours later, Steven was laying in a hospital bed with wires coming out in all directions. As Dr Maheswaran was taking notes, the boy groaned. He instantly took notice of the wires around his body and panicked. Steven tried taking them off but ended up crying out in pain. His vision was still dark. He could only hear the sound of the machines and doctors bustling around. Dr Maheswaran put down the clipboard and rushed over. She secured the wires back on and restrained his arms. "Steven, it's okay. It's Dr Maheswaran. You're in the hospital. You're safe."

Steven blinked a few times to clear his cloudy eyesight. It helped somewhat but it was still hazy. He wanted to speak but the words were caught in his throat. He didn't know where to begin. Besides he couldn't speak well anyway. His voice cracked tremendously every time he tried. To point where it didn't even sound like words. The doctor stopped him in his tracks. "Don't overwork yourself. We can talk another time. Right now, you need to rest. Your body is heavily damaged." Steven nodded. "Although, I'm not sure why your healing powers didn't work....Sorry, I'm bothering you. I'll leave so you can sleep."

She was about to walk out the door when Steven stopped her. He reached out and grabbed her by the coat. Dr Maheswaran looked over her shoulder. "You....want me to stay?" The boy nodded. "....You're scared." Steven looked down with tears in his eyes. "Alright. I'll stay until your family gets here."

Dr Maheswaran pulled out a chair and sat at Steven's bedside. The boy sighed and rested his eyes

It wasn't long however, when the gems arrived. Them and Connie came rushing in. The girl ran to her boyfriend's side and held his hand. "Steven! Are you okay?!"

Steven opened his eyes and nodded. He gave her a tearful smile 

She smiled back. "Thank goodness. I was so worried when my mom called me. How badly are you hurt?"

Dr Maheswaran stepped up to answer her daughter's question. "He has a couple broken ribs, fractured bones in his legs, and bruises all over. We did emergency surgery but it won't be enough." The gems in background gasped. She started addressing Steven directly. "You're gonna have to do physical therapy and stay in a wheelchair."

Steven crossed his arms and pouted

"I got other patients so I'll leave you with your family." She turned and walked out the door

Pearl stepped towards him and started the questioning. "What on earth happened to you?"

Steven held a hand up to his throat, indicating that he can't speak

"Can you write it down?" Amethyst spoke up

Garnet grabbed a pen and paper from a nearby table and handed it to Steven. She set it down in his lap

Steven tried to get a solid grip on the pen. He wrapped his fingers around it and attempted to lift it up. However, every time he came close to writing, the pen would instantly fall out of his hand. He kept trying. Growing increasingly more frustrated each time. Connie eventually stepped in and stopped him from continuing. She grabbed a hand and rubbed it soothingly. "Steven it's okay. We can talk about it some other time."

He swatted the paper away and put a hand over his eyes. A moment later, he began crying 

The gems all leaned in and hugged him without hurting him. Steven sobbed into their shoulders, desperate for any kind of comfort 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven starts the recovery process

Steven had to stay in the hospital for a few more days before being discharged. In that time, a physical therapist came by every day to work with him. Every day he worked tirelessly to get back to full health. Hoping to regain what he once had. But despite all the effort, Steven didn't get much stronger. He was still in a tremendous amount of pain and the continuous leg exercises certainly didn't help with that. When the day came, he exited the facility and went back to his home

The gems and Connie were waiting inside the beach house for him. Anxiously awaiting his arrival. Especially Connie. She couldn't wait to kiss her jam bud and give him all the love he deserves. She'd do anything for Steven. If it means he gets to live a better life, she would do whatever it takes 

Lapis came flying by and carried the wheelchair up the stairs, with Greg following closely behind. When they got in there, everyone was waiting to greet him. A big banner was hung in the living room with the gems and Connie standing in front of it. The banner read 'Get Well Soon' in big bold letters. Everyone shouted simultaneously. "Welcome home Steven!"

Connie ran up and hugged him tight. Perhaps a little too tight. Steven cried out in pain. "Ow! Easy there Berry. I'm still sore." He managed to let out a small chuckle 

She immediately backed away. "Oh, sorry. I'm just so happy to have you back." They exchanged smiles with each other. Before stepping away, Connie gave him a quick kiss on the lips for good luck. Steven blushed at the sudden kiss. But it was very welcomed

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl walk up to him and gently gave him a group hug. He hugged back and pulled away. He then smiled with a mournful expression on his face. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs. I'm pretty tired." Everyone agreed. Albeit reluctantly, but they knew he was having a rough time. "Dad, can you take me to my room?" Greg nodded in affirmation. He placed his arms under the boy and lifted him out of the wheelchair, carrying him up the staircase

Greg carefully placed him in the bed and pulled the covers over him. "Need anything else schtuball?"

Steven shook his head. "No, I'm okay. Thanks dad."

"Anytime. You just get some rest kiddo. Call if you need anything." Greg planted a kiss on his son's forehead and left the room

Once he was alone, Steven shifted to a frown. He really was tired, but in more ways than one. Everything that's happened so far is exhausting. He still has yet to find the reason behind his sleepwalking. Or how to remedy it. His head was pounding thinking about it all. He decided to take it one step at a time. It's the only thing he can do right now

Steven laid his back on his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. As his mind wandered, his eyelids grew heavy. Within a few minutes, he drifted to sleep. Not long after, Connie peeked through the door to check on him. Only to find him in a peaceful slumber. She crept in, grabbed a chair, and sat by his bedside. She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through, patiently waiting for him to wake up

* * *

_Steven was walking along the beach near the shore with his hands in his jacket pockets. The sun was bright and the sky was clear, barely a cloud in sight. He basked in the light as it shone upon his face. His hair being blown back by the gentle breeze in the air. Everything seemed perfect. Nothing could ruin this day for him. As the sun began to set, the sky turned to shades of reds and oranges_

_Suddenly the lovely breeze started getting a bit stronger. No big deal. He shielded his eyes from all the sand and dust being blown. No problem. He can push_ _through this_

_Then it got stronger_

_Okay maybe he should turn back. But before he could, he looked up and saw storm clouds rolling in. Weird. It was just clear a second ago. He wanted to move but he couldn't. As much as he tried, he couldn't get his feet off the ground. It was as if_ _someone glued them in position. He froze in place as thunder roared in the air. Suddenly the ocean started to drift under his feet. The waves crashing into him. He looked down at his now soaked sandals. He once again tried to move but this time it was dragging him down. Steven called out but no sound came from his mouth_

 _The water pulled him deeper and deeper under. Until he was completely submerged. He_ _grabbed at his neck and struggled to swim up for air. He felt like he was suffocating, water rushing to his lungs. He tried to scream but he only made it worse. He outstretched an arm in an attempt to be rescued. Then, everything went black_

Steven jolted awake, feeling out of breath. He only ended up aggravating the pain in his legs and back. His muscles tensed and strained as Steven groaned. He took deep breaths and waited for it to alleviate. When it finally did, he attempted to rub the sleep out of his eyes. It took a moment for him to notice Connie next to him. Quite frankly, he was a bit startled by her presence. They stared at each other as Steven processed that she was actually there. "...Hey." He waved at her

She smiled and waved back. "Hey." She slipped her phone back in her pocket and sat up more in the chair

"How long was I asleep?" Steven asked, unsure of himself 

Connie crossed her legs. "About an hour. Are you okay?" The concern was laced in her voice 

Steven shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I'll be fine." He tried to force a smile. But it wasn't very convincing. He knew he couldn't fool Connie but it was worth a shot

She sighed. "That's not what I asked. Bisky, what's wrong?" Her tone was sincere and her face had worry written all over it

Steven frowned and sighed in frustration. "Everything!" He threw his hands up in the air in anger. "I have powers I can't control, trauma that I can't get rid of, nightmares almost every night, and to top it all off, a new habit I don't understand." He clenched his fists. "I just...I don't get it. What's wrong with me?" He started turning pink

Connie leaned forward and placed a hand over his. He began to relax. The pink glow slowly faded away. "There's nothing wrong with you Steven. You've been through so much in such a short amount of time. It's normal to react the way you're reacting."

"B-But how do I fix this?! I don't want to feel this way anymore." His eyes looked desperate 

Connie shook her head. "You can't fix it right away. It's not immediate. It takes work. This is not an easy thing to solve."

Steven sighs in defeat. "Great..."

"But that doesn't mean you'll never get better. You will eventually. You just have to put in the effort." She smiles softly. "We're all here for you, Steven. And we'll always support you." She grabs ahold of Steven's hand and gently places a kiss on it. He blushes in response 

He returns a smile. "Thanks Connie. It means a lot to me."

"Of course. Just be sure to talk to the gems about this later." 

Steven nervously rubs the back of his neck. "Th-That's gonna be a little difficult for me. But I'll try." He chuckles

Connie gives him a nod of encouragement. "Good. You should probably try and rest now."

"I would but I keep having nightmares."

She puts a finger up to her chin in thought. "Hmmmm. Maybe this'll help." She gets up from her seat and walks over. Steven already knows what she's doing and smiles. He tries his best to scoot over and give her room on the bed. Connie proceeds to crawl in next to him. She rests her head on his chest and wraps her arms around his neck. "Better?"

Steven closes his eyes and nods. "Much."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's so short. Most of the time I have more plot to work with but I didn't know how to expand this. I hope you liked it regardless


End file.
